Razer Nabu enters hardware beta, puts out the call for 500 testers

Limited to a few hundred 'hardcore Razer fans'

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After showing its wearable behind a thick Lucite case, Razer is finally launching its Nabu smartband into a limited beta with 500 hardware testers.

Razer announced it's selling early versions of its Nabu wearable for just a dollar (about £0.59, AU$1) as part of a hardware beta. Sign-ups for the program start on its website today. There are only 500 open spots, so act quickly.

Despite the low entry numbers, don't think this beta is simply on a first come, first served basis. The gaming peripheral maker says it only wants the most "hardcore fans" of its brand to test Nabu.

Razer suggested those who are extremely active on social media like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube would increase their chances to be accepted.

After being selected and having the device delivered sometime in July, beta testers will provide hardware and software feedback to Razer's engineering team.

Developers, developers, developers!

Razer also announced it has begun shipping a developer edition of the Nabu to programmers. Coupled with the free, open software development kit, coders will be able to build their own applications for the activity-tracking wristband.

In a short video, seen above, one suggestion for a possible application was to use the wearable's ability to track sleep cycles to schedule when a coffee maker starts brewing the morning cup of joe.

But this is just one example. Razer says more than 30,000 developers who have signed up for the $50 (about £29, AU$ 53) developer edition Nabu.